Junior skier Charlie Wiedel is leading Steamboat Springs High School's Nordic team toward a potential state title in 2026. After earning silver in the skate race at last year's championships, Wiedel and new teammates from the local club are boosting the Sailors' prospects. The team seeks its first-ever championship at the upcoming event in Minturn.
Steamboat Springs, known as “Ski Town, U.S.A.,” has a storied skiing heritage, producing over 100 Winter Olympians, including 13 at the 2022 Beijing Games. This legacy supports the high school's successful Nordic program, where junior Charlie Wiedel stands out. In his debut at the 2025 CHSAA Nordic Skiing State Championships, Wiedel secured silver in the 5-kilometer skate race, edging Carter Niemkiewicz of Summit by 0.01 seconds and finishing less than four seconds behind winner James Sowers. He placed seventh in the classic race, helping the boys' team to sixth overall, matching the girls' result.
Now in 2026, the boys' team features Wiedel alongside Jackson McLaren and Luke Bedell, who transitioned from the local winter sports club due to costs. Wiedel explained, “I used to ski for the winter sports club up here and then it just got too expensive, so I changed over and switched to the high school last year.” He recruited his club teammates to join, allowing them to continue pursuing the sport affordably. The girls' squad returns Dixie Barnes, who finished 11th in both races last year, Evie Fisher (12th in classic), and Ella Wilson.
Coach Katie Lindquist, in her fourth year as head coach after eight seasons total, noted the program's strength: “We’re usually in the upper half of competitions. I would say we’re usually third or fourth overall, so we’ve always been a strong program. About a fifth of our students are newer to skiing though.” Despite about one-fifth of students being novices, the team hopes for a higher finish, with the boys as title contenders against rivals like Summit, Aspen, and Lake County.
Wiedel, who started skiing in sixth grade, also excels in soccer as a Class 3A First Team All-State goalkeeper—nearly winning a state title before a 1-0 final loss to Kent Denver—and participates in golf and biathlon. His goals include top-five finishes in both state races. Lindquist praised him: “Charlie’s quite a unique individual. He’s quite mature for his age physically and mentally. He’s a very solid human being as one of our team captains this year.” The championships are set for February 20-21 at Maloit Park in Minturn.
